


The Returned

by Nicolemoon8



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Peter Parker Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes Fluff, Carol Snapped and you can't convince me otherwise, Couch Cuddles, Gen, Irondad, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker & Sam Wilson Friendship, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Post Snap & Everyone's Safe and Sound, Protective Tony Stark, Reunions, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:28:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27868385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicolemoon8/pseuds/Nicolemoon8
Summary: After Carol snapped, the Avengers are regrouping at the Tower. Peter's decided to never move from the comfortable position he's found, on the couch and completely surrounded by his favorite people. Although he might have to when Mr. Stark and company find out that Peter and the others weren't just gone for 5 years.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker & Sam Wilson, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 28
Kudos: 251





	The Returned

**Author's Note:**

> Just a case of "wanted to read it, but couldn't find it". I cannot handle Endgame, like seriously its just not real to me. Even this is toeing the line of thinking about the Snap lol. Anyways, to soften canon I just imagine the vanished were sent to the Soul Stone but it didn't feel like 5 years plus they got to hang out and make new friends and everything was right in the world! Enjoy!

Time didn’t even feel like it had meaning. All Peter knew was that from the moment Carol snapped, he immediately latched onto Mr. Stark’s side and he was not moving. He thinks its approaching the next morning but he didn’t bother to look. He had his arms wrapped around the man next to him, super strength and stickiness shamelessly in full effect and that's all he cares about. With his head buried in his dad's, yes his dad's, chest he was able to ignore everything going on around him at the Tower. He felt pretty numb anyway so it wasn’t hard. He easily and gladly lost himself in the weight of the warm heavy arms around him that gave him the occasional squeeze or pat.

When Happy and May entered the temporary command center, also known as the Tower living room, Peter's head immediately popped up long enough to croak out a shaky, “May.”

“Oh, Baby! Oh, Peter. Oh my god! Oh my god.” May ignored the full room of Avengers strewn all over the place and rushed straight to the pair in the corner of one of the couches. She only had eyes for her baby. Her baby who was still in his suit, ripped and torn and with too much dried blood on him.

“May!” Peter reached out with one arm, his hand instinctively opening and closing making him appear much younger as she got closer. He needed her, like how he needed to never be let go of by Mr. Stark. He needed them both in his grasp right now or he wouldn’t last another second. Thankfully, May seemed to agree with his assessment and he was swept into May's embrace, her familiar scent of home bringing tears to his eyes. And if he caught a few others in the room wiping their own eyes, well he wouldn’t fault them for it. He decided now that he had his May and his Tony, he didn’t need to keep his head up anymore. He relaxed back into the couch against the warmth of the two people he loved most.

Some time later, Peter was still sitting with May and Mr. Stark. Well sitting might be generous, he was more so sprawled over them, their limbs all entangled and secured around one another.

He was content to stay right where he was for the rest of his life, however, his stomach was starting to make its hunger known. He was just trying to decide if he wanted to expend the energy it would take to open his mouth and mention it or not. He lifted his head to look around the room; more Avengers had slowly started drifting in after having their own reunions with the people they loved and missed.

A commotion down the hall made most heads turn curiously toward the doorway. Garbled voices got closer, breaking the comfortable silence that had blanketed the living room.

“Steve, I gotta find the kid okay? I know he’s here; he has to be. I've gotta see him.” A slightly less muffled voice said, now closer to earshot.

“Okay, okay. He's probably with Tony.” Another voice accompanied the first, this one easily recognizable.

Peter felt Mr. Stark's arm instinctively tighten around his middle. God he never wanted to leave these arms. Peter caught May's questioning glance as she tried to figure out who the newcomers would be. Peter held his breath waiting to see if it was who he thought it was.

Bucky and Steve stepped into the living room at the same time. Both men scanned the occupants, darting from Scott and Hope to Thor and Valkyrie, past Bruce and finally landing on Tony, May and Peter.

Bucky's breath hitched before he exhaled with an exhausted but relieved laugh, “Jesus.”

“No, that’s you.” Peter retorted quietly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Before he knew it, Bucky was striding across the room, boots thunking heavily against the ground. Peter was quickly entangled in a third set of arms and he couldn’t be happier. Too busy hugging Bucky, he missed the shared looks of confusion between May and Mr. Stark.

“You’re such a punk.” Bucky muttered, standing back upright as he ruffled the boy's messy hair, making it stick out even more.

“Yeah, and you’re an old man. Good to know something hasn’t changed.” Peter teased. He hadn’t even realized something within him was missing until he got to see Bucky again, which got him thinking. “Wait! Where’s Sam?” Peter sat up at attention now, looking around the room like he was seeing it for the first time.

“Wait, wait.” Tony chimed in. “I'm missing something here.”

“Yeah and we're missing Sam! Is he okay? Do we know where-“ Bucky cut Peter's rambling off before a meltdown could start. He'd seen more than his fair share since getting to know the kid over the past while.

“Hey Pipsqueak, take a breather, okay?” Tony wasn’t the only one surprised by the uncharacteristic gentleness that alighted the ex-assassin’s voice and even the man's posture softened. Steve's eyebrows were also scrunched, trying to figure out how his best friend came to be so familiar with Tony's kid.

Peter followed Bucky's directions like he had so many times in the… other place. He had learned early on to follow the older man's cues, along with Sam's and even Doctor Strange's, when he was around.

“Bucky.” Peter almost pleaded while looking up, eyes only on Bucky standing in front of him.

“He's fine Kid. He’s just cleaning up, I’m sure he'll be in soon.” His voice quieted even more. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” Peter's shoulders relaxed a little as he sunk back into May and Mr. Stark's side. “This is my Aunt May. May, this is Bucky.” He introduced the pair.

“Um okay. Can we please hold on a second! What the heck is going on? How do you two even know each other?” Tony couldn’t keep his growing confusion at bay, and he was not one to enjoy not knowing things. Especially when it came to his kid.

“Yeah Buck, I didn’t think you met Peter besides at the airport way back when.” Steve questioned.

Bucky honest to god whined at the mention of the airport battle before turning to Peter. “Don’t you even start, Punk!”

Everyone saw the first full smile spread across Peter's face, looking like mischief incarnate. “Oooh, you mean that time I whooped both your guys asses? Yeah, I think we all remember that.”

“Peter.” May scolded although it was halfhearted at best after seeing the banter put a smile on her kid's face.

“Surprise, surprise. The Spider-Kids runnin' his mouth huh? Nothing new there.” Sam said as he entered the room, going to stand by Cap and Bucky, exchanging a quick handshake and nods to the others gathered around.

“Sam! You're here!” Peter stood on shaky legs for the first time in hours and threw his arms around the man who reciprocated in kind, ignoring the disgruntled mumbling from his mentor on the couch, muttering something about having his kid stolen.

“Course I am. Just had a few too many alien juices on me for my liking. I had to get washed up if I was gonna meet the wonderful Aunt May.” Sam said, turning towards who he assumed was the kid's aunt. “Ms. Parker, Sam. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard only good things.” He gave her his most charming smile and handshake.

May took the greeting like a well-seasoned pro at adapting to new things in life. “Nice to meet you too. How exactly do you know my nephew?”

“Thank you! I’ve been trying to get answers for an eternity over here!” Tony grumbled.

The tension in the room became noticeable, like everyone knew there was something of weight about to be discussed. The silence stretched for a moment before Bucky broke it.

“Well, from what the wizard explained, we weren’t just gone after the Snap. We were in the Soul Stone.”

The room went completely still.

“What?”

“Oh my god!”

But I don’t remember anything?”

“You were stuck in the stone for five years?” Tony’s heartbroken question caught Peter's attention over the others.

“Um it wasn’t all bad. I got to meet a lot of cool people and well not people but aliens and, and things.” Peter quickly tried to reassure his dad figure, hating the pain he saw in his eyes on his account.

“Kid…”

“Don’t forget that damn blanket that fell in love with you.” Sam chimed in.

“How did you guys survive that long? Were you in a different plane or was it an alternate dimension?” Bruce spoke up, trying to wrap his head around what was being said.

“Time moved differently there. It wasn’t really five years for us. We couldn’t actually keep track but it wasn’t five years.” Bucky tried to explain, his arms crossed over his chest. He was sure he wasn’t the only one not wanting to talk about the other place right now but when was the world ever mindful of their requests?

May didn’t have genius-level intellect but she was emotionally in tune and easily picked up on the now uncomfortable feeling in the room.

“It sounds like that’s a later discussion for inquiring minds.” May said, a steely look in her eyes belaying the easy-going suggestion.

“You’re right. Let’s just…let’s just take the day, guys. Get cleaned up, checked out and we'll regroup with some lunch.” Steve said, laying his hand on Bucky's shoulder, needing the reminder that things had changed, for the better. And even more so if Bucky came out of things with more allies by his side. He'd have to get to know Peter more than just the passing words he'd heard about him from Tony over the past few years. Steve knew that anyone who could trigger Bucky’s inner mother hen was someone worth knowing.

“Sounds good to me.” Peter agreed, feeling a bit more like himself – a shaky, tired and starving version of himself but still, he felt like he was actually in his body now.

The remaining Avengers nodded in agreement and trickled out one by one, heading to their own rooms to get freshened up, as much as one could after a battle to save the universe. Both May and Mr. Stark came to stand by Peter, both set of arms wrapping around either side of the boy. Peter knew at some point the sheer number of people surrounding him, all keenly interested in his well-being, might get overwhelming but right now he couldn’t feel safer, literally in the arms of his favorite super-heroes.

“Let’s get you fed, Spider-baby.” Mr. Stark said, starting to lead the last few stragglers towards the kitchen. More quietly he added, “We'll be talking about your time away bud.” It wasn’t a threat or anything; it was a promise, that he’d be there to listen to Peter and what he had to say. “I gotta hear about this blanket of love or whatever sometime too.”

Peter nudged his head against his dad’s shoulder in silent acknowledgement before saying, “I’m not a baby but I could probably cry I’m so hungry.”

“Let’s fix that Bud. We'll order whatever you want, your pick.”

“I could get used to that.”

“Don’t let it go to your head Punk.”

“As if you’d ever let me.”

“Damn straight.”

“Language!”

The conversation and banter followed Peter, Tony and May down the hall as they left behind an empty living room with the promise of it being filled once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? Leave a comment, let me know if you liked it!
> 
> I'm also on Tumblr:  
> [ZanderLjones](https://zanderljones.tumblr.com)


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